A reason to smile
by VervainAndRoses
Summary: Mary, Francis and the little princes' adventures in the snow. Written for the prompt "snow castles" for the challenge at the M/F thread at Fanforum.


The afternoon sun glimmers off the snow, the stomping of small boots breaking the stark white calm of the day. My brothers busy themselves packing and pressing snow to build a fort, gathering the stuff on their cloaks to better throw it on their growing pile, as dutiful as farmers on a work day. It makes me smile. Winter is about to fade, the shortened days close to an end and I want to make sure my brothers get a proper day out in the snow before that happens, neither their nurses or my mother being fond of the cold. I cleared my entire afternoon to spend time with them, well aware that since Mary and I were crowned a little less than a year ago, I haven't been as good a brother as I should. I'm far too busy all the time, and I don't want them to feel abandoned.

"Are you sure you don't want to play with a sled? That doesn't look much fun." I suggest, slightly amused by their hard work.

"No." Charles answers me, not taking his eyes off the task at hand. "We're trying to build a castle Francis."

"Oh." It makes perfect sense I suppose, for a royal child that lives on a castle, to build one out of snow. In all honestly it makes me glad, that even after everything they're still children. "I suppose I should help you then." I tell them, grabbing a handful of snow and following carefully Henry's directions on where to place it. We work in a companionable silence for a few minutes, the snow starting to take a considerable height, when Charles speaks up.

"Francis?"

"Yes?"

"Mother always said Father couldn't play with us because he was King…but you are King now and you're here." The simple statement leaves his lips, and I don't have words to answer my younger brother. I won't tell him the truth; that our late father couldn't be bothered for much else that tending to his own needs and France's. His family didn't come third, they were barely on the list.

"He was always with Bash's mom, or with his advisors." Henry agrees with Charles, kicking a rock, his eyes downcast. It dawns on me that this is a boy that barely knew his father.

"Well," I kneel down to his level, "I'll have you know, you two are my most trusted advisors." Henry's face brightens at the thought, for he always wants me to tell him more about our country's affairs, and wants his own sword, and to go riding alone even at such a young age. Being my advisor seems beyond his dreams.

"But what about Mary's uncle?" He asks me, inquiring about the Duke of Guise who has become a constant presence inside the castle walls.

"He is rather dull." I tell him truthfully.

"And the fat one?" Charles asks, trying and failing to hide a smile. I'm sure he has noticed my dislike of the man.

"The one with the beard?" I gesture with my hand in front of my face, signaling to his impressive facial hair, and he nods. "His ideas tend to be stupid." I answer, and he laughs at the memory of the sour old man, always wearing a disagreeable expression behind his bushy beard.

"I can be better than them." Henry says then, nodding. His small features are the picture of seriousness.

"You are. You're my brother, I trust you more than the lot of them." I assure him, pulling his cape tighter around his shoulder to ward of the chill. He smiles before dashing off once more, restless in the odd chance he gets to play outside.

"Thank you for playing with us Francis," Charles tells me, "…and for saying that to Henry." I just clasp him on the shoulder, regretful that a child should thank his older brother for such a thing.

"Not at all. Let's go help him, shall we?" I ask, and he nods, running to aid his little brother. I follow them suit.

.:.

I see them in the distance, near the edge of the woods, working hard at what seems like several mountains of snow. I asked around once I couldn't find my husband, and got notice that he'd taken the princes out of their Latin class for a lesson of his own, and their tutors agreed of course, not ones to go against the King's wishes. Knowing Francis of course this lesson probably involves playing at sword fighting and no matters of state. I find I'm right as I seem them playing, this time not with wooden swords, but with the snow of the frosty winter day.

I try to walk to them without their notice, but Charles sees me when I'm still a little away. He hurries to wave at me, but I raise my finger to my mouth, so he knows to keep quiet. I then point to Francis, who has his back is to me. Charles nods, and then signals to Henry, who looking at me and then to Francis, realizes my plan to surprise his brother. He raises his own finger to his lips as well. I smile, as that would not help our cause at all, but thankfully Francis is rather concentrated on their snow building, and not looking at them. He stands up then, and I make the best of it by running the small distance that separates us.

"Hey!" I jump Francis from behind, my gloved hands covering his eyes. He lets out a rather un-Kingly sound as I manage to startle him, and his brothers burst out laughing.

"Argh, I've been ambushed!" He pulls my hands from his eyes and turns around to face me. "And by my own wife!" I shriek as he walks toward me, and my feet tangle on my skirts, failing me in my retreat. His hands reach for my waist just in time, and he holds me steady and keeps me from falling into the snow.

"I'm sorry!" I laugh, he looked even more concentrated in the snow than the children. "I just couldn't help it. But…I'll have you know…I wasn't the only one involved in this particular plot."

"Is that so?" He asks, getting my meaning, and turns towards his brothers. "Have you been plotting against your King?" Charles is quick to shake his head, but Henry's eyes are as wide as plates. The little boy can't lie. "You leave me no option now." He lets go of me and crouches down, gathering some snow into a ball, and by the time I yell "Run!" he has already launched the first snowball to Charles.

The children dash away laughing, stopping only to pick up snow and throw it back at Francis, who is too fast for them. They turn back every few seconds, trying to hit their target, but clearly running towards their little snow fort for cover. I've just been watching, far too entertained, but I decide to take part in this battle now.

"I'll hold him back!" I scream to the boys, gathering snow and throwing it at Francis, it hits his jacket and he turns around to look me, almost disbelievingly. I grin, I have another ball at the ready and throw it, where it hits him square in the head.

"Ohh!" I really hadn't meant to hit him there. Snow is piled on top of his head, falling into his face. I can see the children stop as well once they realize what happened, holding back laughter from their brother's appearance. I cover my own mouth to hide my smile, as I don't think it will help me. Francis slowly, methodically wipes the offending snow of his face, his expression completely unreadable. That is, until a mischievous smile starts to form as he walks toward me, ever so slowly.

"Mary, run!" Charles yells at me, and I turn around, moving as fast as my long skirts will allow me. Not even the snowballs that Charles launches at Francis' back are enough to deter him though, and soon enough I shriek as he grabs me from behind by the waist, pulling me up.

"No! Leave her!" Henry pleads with his brother, holding onto his arm and pulling and then Charles runs along as well and holds onto his other arm. I use the momentum to free myself of his arms, and as he tries to step back he goes crashing to the ground, taking the boys with him.

"Are you all right?" I ask them, laughing. But I don't think they hear me at all, each one of the boys has one of Francis' arms pinned to the floor, and he pretends to struggle against them. I know he is strong enough to shake them off rather easily, and the sight warms my heart.

"Help us, Mary! He'll get away!" Charles yells at me, and I decide to push my luck.

I wonder what people would think if they saw the King and Queen of France playing in the snow with little children, but I decide I don't really care as I kneel down as well, no care for my gown either, and press my hands on his chest, pushing him down. After a moment he finally stops moving, apparently no match for the three of us, although I suspect he wasn't using all of his strength.

"All right, all right. I give. I'm defeated." He says, out of breath. His brothers leave him be then, happy in their victory. And he stands up, taking me with him. I help him shake the snow of his doublet, smiling conspiratorially with the boys.

"Unbelievable..." Francis mutter under his breath. I grin at him, as I know he knows that I'm very aware he can't get angry at any of us. I turn around, a bounce in my step, and walk to where Charles and Henry are focused now.

"What were my boys doing before I arrived?"

"Building a castle, Mary!" Henry tells me, excited to share his creation. "See that will be the door, and we'll build stairs on the back to climb on the roof..."

"Oh, I can see that now." I say, looking towards the rather amorphous structure made of snow. Francis looks at me from the side, biting back a laugh.

"Will you help us?" Henry asks me, and I nod, ruffling his blond hair that so reminds me of Francis as a boy.

"Of course, but only for a little while. We need to get inside before it gets dark." I tell him and he nods impatiently, before running off to enjoy the last of the snow this year.

A familiar set of arms come around me then, and I lean back into Francis' chest, his embrace shielding me from the slight wind that blows. We watch his little brothers as they play. Henry stands on top of the structure that finally starts to resemble a fort, I suppose, as Charles works hard at digging a door.

"Don't let them go in there, we'll have to dig them out." I tell Francis under my breath, careful that the boys don't hear me.

"Aye. But don't change the subject...you'll pay for that stunt later." He whispers in my ear, sending chills down my spine. I bite back a smile; his curls are now plastered to his head as the snow begins to melt. The sight is adorable, and I can't help myself as I turn to kiss him.

"You're not helping us!" Charles voice interrupts us, and we laugh.

"Later." I tell Francis, before grabbing his hand and walking to where the boys are, intent on building the best snow castle there ever was.


End file.
